An Inability To Move
by bespectacled squid
Summary: The rain was pouring down in sheets, creating an intense din in the noodle shop and leaving the air feeling heavy and oppressive. A dark figure was standing in the street.


Bolin shivered as the cool breeze swept across his neck, the air carrying a few drops of freezing water with it. He glanced behind him at the window, still propped open for whatever reason. The rain was pouring down in sheets, creating an intense din in the noodle shop and leaving the air feeling heavy and oppressive. He squinted through the rain, the shop's glow only barely cutting through the water. A dark figure was standing in the street. Bolin swallowed his last noodle and turned to face his friends.

"Uh, guys?" he said, but the two across from him ignored him. Mako and Asami were engrossed in some debate about probending, disregarding anything around them. "Korra?" Bolin asked, but the girl sitting next to him only turned her head slightly in his direction. She was hunched over, staring down at her bowl of noodles, her eyes unseeing. Every so often, Bolin had seen her look up at the pair in front of her, scowl, and look back down again. Her hair was nearly skimming the surface of the noodles. Bolin sighed and turned around to look through the window again. The figure was still standing there, unmoving.

"Guys," Bolin said, shaking Korra's arm. Nobody responded. "Hey, GUYS!"

"What?" Korra replied, looking a little annoyed. Mako and Asami turned forward to look at him. He pointed at the window.

"There's someone out there. He's just standing there." Korra sat up and kneeled on the booth bench, peering out the window. She squinted as a few raindrops flew in and hit her face, then shivered at the coldness.

"You're right," she said, and Mako and Asami stood up to gaze around her. Mako raised an eyebrow.

"Probably just a druggie or something," he said. Asami shook her head.

"No, we know him. That's one of the guys from the Wolfbats. The waterbender, what's his name?"

"Tahno?" Korra asked, and leaned over even more, nearly pressing her nose against the screen. She nodded her head. "Yeah, I think it's him."

"So what do we do?" Bolin asked. Mako shook his head.

"Nothing. It's none of our business," he said. Asami frowned.

"You can't just leave the poor guy out there. He lost his bending, he's probably not exactly in his right mind."

"Why should we do anything?" Mako asked. "He's never been anything short of horrible to us."

"Because if we don't, we're just as horrible as he is," Asami said, putting her hands on her hips. "Honestly, Mako." Mako shrugged. Asami hurried over to the front door, throwing back the deadbolt while ignoring the bartender's protests, and yanked it open. The wind nearly blew her off her feet. Korra and Bolin followed, with Mako eventually meandering over.

"Tahno! Hey, Tahno!" Asami called. He didn't move.

"Hey! Creepy hair guy!" Bolin yelled. Korra lightly smacked his arm, and he held his hands up in a _what?_ gesture. Korra poked her head out the door, catching some of the rain flying under the awning. Asami cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Tahno!" she bellowed. He didn't respond. She waved her hands, motioning for him to come inside. "Get out of the rain!"

The wind whipped Korra's hair out of her ponytail, almost carrying her hair spool away with it. She tugged it out, feeling her hair fly every-which-way in the gusts. She handed the spool to Bolin and began untying her hip wrap.

"What are you doing?" Bolin asked, raising an eyebrow. She handed him the leather wrap.

"I don't want it to get wet," she said. Mako shook his head.

"Don't be ridiculous, Korra. You'll get sick, or hurt, or he'll get angry with you, or _something,_" Mako said. Korra ignored him, stepping out of the doorway. She shivered as the raindrops really began to hit her, quickly saturating her shirt. She braced herself and stepped out from under the awning. She was instantly soaked, and almost shoved to the ground by the torrential downpour. She fought through the rain, shivering as each raindrop stung her skin like an icy needle. Her hair was cemented to her head, sticking to her neck and back, and her clothes felt as heavy as stone with the weight of the water.

She made her way to the middle of the street, stopping in front of Tahno. His fringe was flattened against his face, his clothing drenched through and hung loosely on his frame. His eyes were open, staring straight ahead.

"Tahno?" she whispered, though she was positive he couldn't hear her through the rain. Regardless, his eyes focused on her face. Instantly, she knew he was not loose in the head, or standing there out of any insane reason.

He was feeling the loss. He was feeling the water move around him, while unable to move it himself. Korra offered him a hand. He took it, lacing his fingers into hers.

Korra stood with him, silently.

* * *

AN:

Tah(n)orra is almost as great as Taang. For real.

I forgot how much fun it is to write fanfiction. Sometimes it's just like I KNOW THIS IS BAD BUT I'M NOT EVEN SORRY YOLO

Inspired by dearsummerdiary's headcanon (#48), found on the fuckyeahtahorra tumblog.


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